blah.suzie

Last 2011 Shopping Round Up!

2012-01-06T11:51:00.000Z

Can you believe how fast 2011 has sped by? It's already the 5th day into 2012. Will the world end this year? We shall see!

Also it has been an eventful year. Moving to London by myself. I have been quite fortunate with my living arrangements but trust me it hasn't been easy! Also all the nice people I've met during my time here. They all have been wonderful. It definitely won't be my London experience without you guys :-)

Anyways, onto my December purchases...

Early in the month, I went to Lille. It's a short ride on the Eurostar and a lot of British people go there for shopping. They do have very good shops and the French people there I found friendly.

Bought myself my 2nd striped top for the year. The first one which I bought in May has been so versatile.

I've included this dress because I bought it with me in mind as well.

It is for one of my sisters, whoever claims it first but if both of them don't like it, I'll keep it!

It's a tunic length and definitely need tights underneath.

A couple of tea strainers. I've been drinking tea every morning because it's so cold here. I can see why almost every British person drinks tea. It's nuts!

Also from Lille- a peachy shimmery top

For Christmas I went to Rome and manage to fit a teensy bit of shopping. Most of the shops weren't open on Christmas or Boxing day and I arrived and left on the days which were open.

A pair of pajama pants

Found a bookshop at Termini with a good selection of english books.

I also replenished my mascaras. The last time I bought them was 3 months ago and my eyes were becoming irritated.

Elysambre short eyelash mascara- this may be THE ONE for me! Review to come later!

Also replaced my liquid liner- Chantecaille Le Stylo. The previous one was running out of ink and wasn't so black anymore. I must say it's a first to be replacing items because I usually tire of them waaaay before they run out. So proud of myself :-P

A Rome purchase from a Sephora at Termini too- eyeliner in voilet. I've only used it once but I was impressed by it's staying power and uncreaseness.

Now to the UK Christmas sales...

I only went because my housemate was going to Harvey Nichols so I thought I'd tag along...

Eyemask in cashmere- so soft! 10 pounds which isn't so bad.

Designer sunnies for 68 pounds. So cheap

The reason why I wanted to go to Harvey Nichols in the first place:

To buy the Mitchell and Peach the travel set on the top right.

Best bit- all the products were 50% off so I decided to get the body cream and shower wash as well.

Inside the travel set.

It's a nice end to the year. I did end up buying clothes in December but I can see myself wearing them for a long time.

I also would like to think that my shopping habits have changed dramatically since the beginning of the year. It took a relocation to change it! I do inspect garments carefully for their composition and try them on for their fit. As a result I take the longest in the fitting rooms even though I have 3 items. I stand there judging their worthiness in my wardrobe. There was a time at the start where I thought I could buy everything and nearly ran out of money. Next would be finding a way to take them when I move back to Perth! Not for another year at least tho :-)

Here's to 2012!

To Buy or Not To Buy?

2012-01-05T23:26:00.002Z

Trying on a printed top in Lille, France:

I didn't end up buying it because I wasn't 100% happy with it. Also it was about 50-60 euros!

Oh and I'm wearing my new boots which I bought in November :-)

Two more days before I head off to warm sunshine! (I'm going to Singapore then Taiwan then Malaysia for Chinese New Year and finally to Perth!).

Tiny Eggs

2012-01-03T08:18:00.000Z

Found at the local supermarket:

A dozen specklety quail eggs.

They almost look like marbles.

Inside the eggshell is a very pale blue colour

Shelled and ready to eat!

Half bitten

When The Clock Strikes 12

2012-01-01T12:19:00.004Z

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Been an amazing year with new friends and I can't believe I waited for 4 hours to watch Big Ben get to midnight. The fireworks were amazing tho!

All the best for 2012!

What I Know Now to be St James Park

2011-12-28T09:19:00.000Z

I ended up at St James Park after being too early for my second London appointment at Covent Garden.

Famous London pigeons. Usually they are in a flock and they just peck peck and any sort of food.

Bird life

My first sighting of a squirrel bothering a guy on his lunch break

Deckchairs- apparently quite popular for sun lounging.

Postcard perfect!

Stumbled on a band playing

Cute little cottage

Seriously twisted tree.

Like A Kid in a Candy Store

2011-12-22T20:45:00.000Z

Literally!

Surrounded by different colours of M&M's

At the M&M world at Leicester Square.

These was taken in June when it first opened and they only had normal and peanut M&Ms available. They were planning to get the crispy and peanut butter ones in later on in the year but I haven't revisited.

A wall of pick & mix

Like the green ones only? 4 shades to choose from!

If pink is more your colour...

There are also coloured M&Ms to pose with.

The green room!

With Cheryll- a girl I met while I was doing my training. From Melbourne!

Can't get too much green- it's good for you!

Miss Green M&M

It's even got it's own postcode and there is an M&M crossing (similar to the Abbey Rd crossing)

The lab with the crazy professor

Dragon Boat Racing June 2011

2011-12-21T09:02:00.000Z

Posting up my London photos. There are heaps!

Dragon boat racing organised by the London Chinatown Lions Club at the Royal Albert Docks in June.

It was opposite the London City airport.

It rained off and on through the event and it was very windy. As the commentator said- it's not like cricket, they race rain or shine.

Chinese dancing for entertainment

Lion dance!

Head of the dragon boats

The start of the finals

LCLC A aka the A-team won

They also had a replica wishing tree. Apparently if you throw your bag of wish and it hangs on the tree, your wish is granted. Sadly mines didn't make it :-(

Coloured Stairs

2011-12-19T08:25:00.000Z

Pretty coloured stairs at United Colors of Benetton on the corner of Regent and Oxford Street

Giant Lego Tree

2011-12-18T11:33:00.001Z

Giant Lego tree at St Pancras station

Featured in this article here.

Baubles in Lego as well!

One more week to Christmas! Can you believe how fast it's come around again??

Pierre Herme Macaron Box

2011-12-18T09:00:00.000Z

Sugar rush!

I originally bought these for a friend but turns out I wasn't meeting her til the week after. Never mind! All the more for me.

7 macarons in a box

The box had 7 landmarks of London.

Don't know if Pierre Herme is one of them...

From bottom to top:

2x creme brulee

mogador- milk chocolate and passionfruit

pietra- hazelnut praline and crispy praline

infiniment caramel- salted caramel butter

grapefruit

infiniment rose

choc and passionfruit- one of my least favourite.

The chocolate with the passionfruit is a weird flavour

Creme brulee- taste like a very sweet vanilla flavour.

It's meant to have caramel bits but I couldn't taste them

Grapefruit- nice for a fruit flavour, not too strong.

Hazelnut praline my favourite!

Rose- a very subtle rose flavour. Check out the thick filling sandwiched between the shells.

Salted caramel- satisfactory :-)

My New Favourite Flavours

2011-12-16T20:37:00.000Z

More flavours from Pierre Herme in Selfridges.

Azur- chocolate and yuzu

I don't normally choose chocolate macarons because they taste what like chocolate. I could just go and have a bar of good quality chocolate. This one has a subtle twist of yuzu which is a Japanese citrus fruit so it's not plain and boring.

Check out the amount of filling! And hello macaron feet.

Truffe blanche and noisette- white truffle and roasted piedmond hazelnut slivers

I was surprised by how strong the truffle flavour is. It took me by surprise. An interesting combination of savoury and sweet. It may be an acquired taste.

Now move over salted caramel!

Peitra- hazelnut praline and crispy praline.

My fave macaron flavour.

I love the hazelnut flavour (which is like ferrero rocher). It also has a crispy shell with a chewy inside. Just how a macaron should be.

Yum! Cross-section

Interesting how the inside of the shell is white.

100% Pure Pomegranate Moisturiser

2011-12-13T08:14:00.000Z

I have reviewed this moisturiser here.

It appears they have changed the packaging for it.

Instead of making it smaller, they've made it more heavy and larger! The new moisturiser is 50mL whereas the old one was 59mL. I bought this one for 26 pounds and the older one I bought in Singapore for $60 SGD. I can't compare the prices because it was very expensive in Singapore to begin with just as it would've been to order it in Australia because it has to be shipped there.

New one on the left, old one at the right.

Ingredients are still natural at least.

The new pump head.

I do like the new pump but the bottle is very heavy. Sucks when I am travelling- smaller volume but heavier in weight. When I try picking it up by the cap alone, it always falls out, causing the bottle to drop. Why did they repackage it larger??? It is nice to display on the shelf tho and I still like the moisturiser.

Now 100% Pure has come out with an SPF 30 with argan oil in the old bottle. I would love to try that one out!

Jingle Bells Everywhere

2011-12-11T22:19:00.001Z

Wowzer! Two more weeks til Christmas!

There are ice skating rinks, Christmas decorations, ferris wheels and Santas everywhere.

And I am cold for a change!!!

Ferris wheel and Christmas tree at Lille, France where I was over the weekend!

Chanel Polish in Miami Peach

2011-12-08T07:50:00.000Z

Still searching for a Christmas present? Most girls dream of Chanel. This pretty polish won't break the bank and it's useful too.

I am trying to use natural products but sometimes a colour like this is too hard to pass by.

The colour of Miami Peach is a pale pink hue with glitter. The tone would suit cool and warm tones even tho it looks pale.

Ingredient list- I haven't checked if it is 3 free... but the photo can be clicked to be larger

On my thumb nail

Trying to capture the bits of golden shimmer:

The formal for this polish is quite watery, so a couple of coats are required.

It is a perfect spring time colour. I had trouble deciding between this colour and Orange fizz which is a very nice coral/orange colour.

Bought this at House of Fraser for 27 pounds. A little bit on the pricey end for nail polishes tho but it may be the only Chanel I own!

Multi Purpose Argan Oil

2011-12-07T07:59:00.000Z

I asked for this as a birthday present from my sisters (here).

It is one of the best things I've received and very very useful. As you know, there has been a surge of popularity on argan oil due to Moroccan Oil hair products. Unfortunately, most of those products contain very little argan oil. I was given a similar hair oil that contained 'argan oil' and found it contained a lot of chemicals and right at the very end, argan oil.

So I found Issahra argan oil which contains just that.

Came in an orange bronzey box. The bottle is a glass pump bottle. 50 mL may not seem like a lot, but a little goes a long way.

What it can do for your skin and hair.

Directions on how to use it.

I've used the argan oil as a night facial serum, hair serum (only for the ends!) and occasionally for my body. Since it is only 50mL, I prefer to use a different body cream. It soaks in wonderfully and is not greasy. I did use it once on my face when it was very humid and woke up with an angry bump so a light hand is preferred.

This can replace a lot of products and I take it while I'm travelling. It retailed online for about $50 a bottle. That's $1/mL so I use it very sparingly. But I will definitely repurchase!

Aubrey Deodorant

2011-12-05T07:39:00.000Z

I have finally settled on a natural deodorant. After many frustrations at previous natural deodorants, this is the one I am sticking with. I may have to stock up when I return to Australia!

It's the Aubrey Organics deodorant- E plus High C.

It cost me about 7 pounds which is fairly reasonable.

Very natural ingredients!

I find this deodorant lasts about 10 hours. After that, if I am still out and about, it maybe handy to reapply. However the roll on container is quite large. I wonder if they can streamline it somehow...

It has a bit of talc scent to it - not overpowering. The deodorant is a milky pale pink in colour. Make sure it's dried before putting on your clothes because it does transfer when it's wet! I have been using this since I bought it in July and I am satisfied with it. However if you are working out or sweating excessively, it may not be for you. It is suiting me in the English climate.

November Shopping Round Up

2011-12-03T20:54:00.000Z

It's the final month of 2011! It's also the start of my 6th month in London. How time flies when you are having fun!

This month I spent just over 200 pounds on birthday presents for 8 people. I'm returning to Perth in February and have to make up for the birthdays I've missed. Funnily enough, all but one of my friends have birthdays in the second half of the year.

Now for gifts for myself :-P

My souvenir from Iceland:

Earrings from Gling Glo, she is an Icelandic jeweller.

I stumbled at an undercover market place where they had handmade stalls- like the Perth Upmarket.

Winter is definitely here in London. Although it hasn't snowed, it's raining and cold :-(

It is also the season for boots. All stores are offering different styles. It's almost like jean shopping and we all now how painful it can get!

My ideal boots spotted at Selfridges. Not the most cheapest place to start looking!

Chloe boots for 800 pounds... a little over my budget...

Ferragamo ones for 400 pounds. Half the price of Chloe but still a bit too much!

I found a pair of Geox ones for 150 pounds but wasn't completely satisfied with them. By then I'd tried on a gazillion boots and had given up hope of finding a pair this winter.

You know what they say, you always find things when you aren't really looking...

Ash George boots from Liberty!

Not entirely the cheapest store to go looking for boots they were a reasonable 255 pounds.

Almost knee high and I managed to zip my calves in them :-P

No elastic at the calf section which means they will last longer too.

A little bit utilitarian but good for stomping around

From Valencia:

My friend wanted to go back to Valencia for more Lladro porcelain pieces. They are very expensive even the factory second pieces.

A factory second tealight holder for 20 euros. The non factory seconds were 40 euros.

Other designs:

Another purchase from Iceland:

Second hand CK wool coat from the flea market in Reykjavik. Was 1500 Icelandic kronas which is about 8 pounds. Ding!

Lined leather gloves from Valencia. About 45 pounds converted from euros.

A work top bought from Valencia.

I also updated my underwear with these 3 bras

A bright Fossil bag to brighten up my winter.

It's also comes with shorter straps so it can be a shoulder bag as well.

The other side of the bag- a neutral colour should I get sick of the bright colours

You can see some blue from my jeans transfer of colour... so I suppose I will always need to use the other side.

Elle Mag from the US- October edition and La Seduction book. Bought these at Gatwick airport while waiting for my flight to Iceland.

Girl crush on Miranda Kerr.

Not shown are a pair of fleeced lined tights.

Well that's my November spending. Two pieces of clothing and a pair of shoes. Almost got there with not buying any clothes. I suppose if I counted those clothes as 'souvenirs'...

Now that will be cheating a little ;-)

Body Moisturisers

2011-11-30T12:09:00.000Z

As I mentioned in my October shopping round up, I bought a new body moisturiser- Mitchell and Peach.

The one I brought with me to London was Grown mandarin and rosemary leaf in a tube. I did buy a large pump bottle but decided it was too heavy to take it all the way here. I am regretting that now but it has also given me the chance to try out the body moisturisers here in London.

Grown mandarin and rosemary leaf body moisturiser:

This Grown moisturiser was/is awesome. The scent is a light citrus one and it's not too overpowering. It is also light enough for summer and sufficient for the colder periods when I was using it here.

The ingredient list

Unfortunately all good things end. It is quite unusual for me to finish any sort of body creams as I always find a new one to replace it. I was reluctant to use it all up because it was too expensive to post a large 500mL pump bottle from Australia. This small tube lasted me 3-4 months with almost daily use.

Towards the end of the Grown tube, I found Neals Yard Wild Rose body elixir:

Good ingredient list too.

However the 'cream' is different.

Looks like a pink slug!

It's almost like an oily gel for lack of a better description. It sinks in wonderfully and surprisingly, not greasy.

However, not really for me. I don't like the fact that sometimes all you squeeze out is the oily bit first. Eek!

So to Mitchell and Peach which I bought at Harvey Nichols. You can also buy it online at various natural e-stores.

Their provenance

In a heavy glass jar.

Ingredient list

Creamy goodness for the cold days ahead.

I did find the scent a little bit too strong at first. It's not a very strong lavender smell, more of a whiff. But now I'm used to the scent and it's very subtle. The texture is also very indulgent and soaks in very quickly with no greasy feeling.

However when I return to Australia, I will be bringing that pump bottle of Grown moisturiser back :-)

Short Lashes

2011-11-28T10:23:00.000Z

Unfortunately, I'm not blessed with long luscious lashes so I can't go around fluttering my eyes hoping to get away with things.

The Beauty Department shows you how to get them to stand out here.

The answer is layers. Especially now that I've started using a natural mascara below:

Dr Hauschka's mascara

I think this mascara is designed for ladies with long lashes who want them to be defined and darker.

It's definitely not like MAC were one coat pumps up my whole eyelashes. I suppose it's similar to a Fiberwig mascara without the lengthening fibres. This one makes them darker and doesn't clump. A very natural looking formula.

I haven't tried painting each lash vertically as in step #2. But if you let each coat dry for a bit, it does make a difference.

In these photos there have been about 3 coats of mascara + eyeliner.

Not overly dramatic but nice and natural.

I suppose for anything more luscious, I will need falsies.

Dont't forget to curl them! Very important. No one likes downward facing lashes.

Do you have short lashes and how do you combat them? Or try the steps on the Beauty Department website and see if they work for you!

October Shopping Round Up

2011-11-26T23:15:00.001Z

A very very belated post for October! How time flies! It's almost the end of November!

Starting with some cosmetics.

I originally went into Liberty to buy a new foundation brush. They were also having a promotion where you spend x amount to get a bag choc a bloc of free stuff.

I've also wanted to try their primer because it does help in controlling shine. I didn't want to buy a big tube and then waste the whole bottle after. I was also hesitant about the full size sample because I didn't like their tinted moisturiser which I reviewed here.

Anyways, they had a travel sized one which I bought.

The lid is always falling off which sucks but definitely good for travelling as I can top it up with the full sized one when I go away. I'm still unsure if I like it enough to purchase the full sized one! It does control shine and smooth out my skin and a little goes a long way. I'll wait til it gets closer to the end.

I also bought a lip stain and a trio of mini lipglosses which will be handy for presents.

Winter is now here and moisturiser is a big must. The Neals Yard pack I bought in July had a moisturiser but it was a different sort. I wanted something creamy but not too heavily fragranced.

Mitchell and Peach fitted perfectly and it's English and natural! Yippee!

I did end up buying clothing in October. Some were required because I was going to Iceland and others I found that I couldn't pass up...

A scarf from H&M- It's almost like a blanket and so so warm for Iceland

A stack of thermal layers- 3x shirts and 2x leggings.

Reiss top which was second hand from the Greenwich markets

Banana Republic cardi also from the Greenwich markets

Dorothy Perkins blazer from Greenwich markets. I was really underdressed that day and it was so cold that I had to buy a jacket. My friend found this for 3 pounds and in my size. How rare!

Also 2 items of new clothing.

Tunic/long top from Monsoon.

I don't tend to buy tops with high necklines but because this had the v neck effect I didn't look too shabby with it.

Another Monsoon top for work.

Gloves for the winter ahead.

The pink ones are fingerless ones with a cover on top and the black ones were thermal ones for Iceland. Those black ones were a life saver.

Flats from Anthropologie- on sale.

Finally my North Face Triclimate jacket for Iceland:

It's in a nice purple colour, the camera didn't do this any justice!

It was on sale as well, 140 pounds, down from 210. Well I wore it for 4 days straight so cost per use is already at 35!

2 layers of warmy goodness.

I also bought a pair of 'active' pants for Iceland which I didn't end up wearing. I found layering thermal leggings with my jeans were suitable. Also bought a beanie which I wore constantly too.

I also asked my sister to buy a Witchery ruched black shirt- the same one I bought in January. I love that style and wear the one I have constantly.

There you go for October. November is on it's way and shouldn't be so extensive :-) (I hope!)

The One You Need To Know

2011-11-22T23:16:00.000Z

Pierre who you might ask. Well I asked that too. All my friend could give me were stuff on the net about how other people said his chocolates were the best. Ok, so the classic is pretty good.

Anyways, stuff him. He's pretty expensive. There's another girl in town.

Elisabeth!

Near the Grand Place and worth having a lookie. Quite a small shop but don't let that deter you.

This is the stuff worth going to Brussels alone:

I don't even know the name...

It's a layer of almonds and caramel for the base and then a white chocolate cream center encased by more white chocolate.

So hardcore chocolate snobs may snort at this. I know white chocolate is technically not real chocolate. But push that aside, this is the bestest bestest chocolate I've everrrrrr had!!!!!

It got me at almond and caramel base. Ding!

And I'm not even a white chocolate fan. I bought some for a friend and she said the exact same thing.

So so sooooo good. Ok, anyone going to Brussels??

I'm salivating as I type this. That's how good it was. I even got my friends to buy a pack each. I'll take a bag of this as commission thanks Elisabeth!

Their little 'autumn' display. So cute!

Remember! Don't leave Brussels without this!

Pierre Marcolini Chocolates

2011-11-21T22:59:00.000Z

In Brussels or Belgium in general, you cannot not buy any chocolates! It's ridiculous!!

My friend found out about the 'best of the best' which is Pierre Marcolini. Here's what I bought!

A little black bag to keep your purchases in. How chic!

This one was an earl grey square. Nice flavouring.

A box of the classic.

These were delightful! They were chocolates with cream centres. Each colour was a different flavour.

Brown was coffee

White is vanilla- my fave!

And orange was a liquid orange thingo.

I also bought a box of their caramel selection.

To my horror, I thought I had been ripped off! By this time I was already in London, so it wasn't like I could hop on the Eurostar back there...

Good that I wasn't able to... because I found some of them were just stacked on top of another one.

Ahh much better!!

I was very interested in trying the salted caramel (caramel beurre sale). It wasn't very salty but it was the second best flavour in the box. The best one would've been caramel fleur d'oranger (caramel with orange). Very subtle but refreshing orange flavour. The one I disliked were caramel passion (I'm guessing passionfruit) and caramel gingembre (ginger).

Don't panic if you didn't stumble on a Pierre Marcolini store which walking around Brussels, there is one at the Eurostar terminal before you leave. But the best is yet to come...

Coz It Never Lasts Long

2011-11-16T22:34:00.001Z

Got my hair cut and coloured at Esta on Finchley Road after 4 months of being in limbo over what to do with my hair. The lady who cut it is this cute Japanese lady. She is so sweet and a little eccentric (in the nicest possible way!).

Me and Karen from work after our cuts and my colour. Apparently I look very different with my hair down...

This was the next day. Preserve some of the salon quality!

All I did was dye over my blonde highlights which had massive regrowth. As a result my hair looks healthier and much more manageable!

Side to side view

:-)

DMZ Tour

2011-11-12T13:30:00.000Z

Continuing on from my Korean adventure...

I couldn't miss a DMZ tour. I ended up just going on the half day tour where we visited Imjingak, the 3rd tunnel and also Dorasan station.

First stop was Imjingak.

This is where the Freedom Bridge is.

Our tour guide with a statue of the guards at the start of the Freedom Bridge. Apparently the soldiers (who are at Panmunjon) have the sunglasses so the opposing side cannot see their facial expressions. They also have coins or metal things in their pockets so when they walk, it sounds like there are more of them.

Plaque of the Freedom Bridge. It

Old train and explanation below

Wishes from visitors

At the Freedom Bridge

The end of the Freedom Bridge

The tour guide was saying that once a year, defected North Koreans send little hot air balloons across to North Korean side saying how good South Korea is. This makes the North Korean side unhappy and sometimes cross and a little tension is in the air. When we visited, the anniversary was a couple of days earlier! Dum dum dum!
But nothing happened...

Suyuan looking at the Bridge of No Return.
If you cross the Bridge of No Return, it is just that... no coming back!

Monorail to the 3rd tunnel

The 3rd tunnel is one of the apparent many tunnels that the North Korean army dug. There are fake coal smears on the rocks so they had an excuse if they were caught. The end of the tunnel is heavily concreted and has 24hr video surveillance.

Lots of landmines in the area

Entrance to the tunnel. It's been expanded so people can fit but it used to be a whole lot tinier.

A symbol of hope

The viewing area to North Korea
This photo was taken behind the yellow line. After the yellow line, no cameras are allowed.

If you want to do a sneaky sneaky shot- best not to because there is a soldier watching your moves!

North Korean flag!

On the North Korean side, they have built several 'houses' but these houses don't have any windows or light at night.

There is also an industrial complex on the North Korean side of the DMZ. I think the tour guide said it's owned by South Korean businessmen? But it employs North Koreans and it was built as a goodwill to the North Koreans. South Koreans are able to work in the industrial complex but they must go through a lot of interviews and classes. They must not sway the North Koreans to think that South Korea is better and there are guards watching and listening to their every move and words! Doesn't seem like a nice place to work. IDs are regularly checked to make sure no North Korean is trying to get across the border.

There is also a little village which is the closest to 'town' to the DMZ. The residents must also carry IDs and papers and are constantly checked by the guards.

Final stop!

Dorasan station.

Hopefully one day at reunification, there will be a train that can take you from Dorasan station to Pyeongyang. For the moment, it's just lying idle...

George Bush visited here too!

The DMZ tour is a must do tour if you go to Seoul. I wished I added on the Panmunjon part as it would've been interesting as well. It's quite sad about the separation of a country. Hopefully reunification will come sooner rather than later. I mean if East and West Germany can, North and South Vietnam can, then one day North and South Korea can too.

Ku Stuff

2011-11-02T08:06:00.000Z

It's a gay club :-P

Melt Chocolates

2011-10-27T20:25:00.000+01:00

Melt chocolates are available at Selfridges but they also have their own store in Notting Hill. What drew me to them was they had a green tea chocolate truffle. I came to London via Japan where everything has a green tea flavour. So I definitely had to get my green tea fix.

Before we get to green tea, I bought 2 other flavours.

Salted Praline

Half bitten.

More information can be found here on that flavour.

This is Salted Feuillantine.

Again more information on the flavour here.

Finally green tea!

Came in a ball form.

You can see the layers here. Outside is this green dusting over sugar(?), then chocolate sheel and finally the green tea flavoured center. It's actually nicely flavoured too- a real green tea flavour rather than a fakey one.

Unfortunately I can't find the description for this but if you are after a green tea fix- this will solve it.

Korea: Busan

2011-10-26T12:21:00.000+01:00

Finally some travel photos!

First up Busan in South Korea earlier this year (in May).

Seoul station- huge huge building

We bought our tickets on the day and found out that there weren't any spare seats on the trains until 5pm that day. Sooo... we just bummed around the station (coz we had our bags) and found out about the Lotte department store.

We tried to store our bags in one of those locker things at the station but the machine ate our money! It was in Korean and there was no one to help out. There was a lady floating about who took us to a shop outside the station and offered to lock our bags there. Me and my sister thought it was dodgy so we didn't want to chance it, especially so early on in our trip!

But if you would like to store your bags at Seoul station, the best bet is to go to the Lotte department store and store your luggage there. Best of all- it's free!

Outside Seoul station

The Korean bullet train- we only had standing tickets and were offered to sit once we were close to Busan.

The train speed on the top left corner.

Suyuan with some wierd sculpture. Udders??

Street lit up at night

Pretty hanging lanters, a lady was nice enough to help us take a photo.

Some mask sculpture at the Busan tower

Our fave Lotte department store!

Busan tower

Panorama shot

Locks with hearts and love messages

A window display at the entrance to the Lotte department store.

Traditional Korean dress at a window shop display

Trying to sneakily get some Korean fashion photos while sheltering from the rain.

Typical Korean window shop for guys. They usually go for a smart casual look.

Korean male fashion

Lotte department store at night

Korean version of the bullet train

Shopping strip!

I must say we didn't see much in Busan. We were planning to go see the fish market and beach close by but it rained and we ended up wandering around the Lotte department store. The best part of Lotte is downstairs where the food are. Yum! Probably should've planned this Busan trip better but never mind! It was still good.

Gel Eyeliners

2011-10-24T12:09:00.000+01:00

When it comes to eyeliners, I am a liquid or gel person. I have always struggled with pencils and still do! They refuse to make the line I want and end up smudging.

The gel liner I started out with is Bobbi Brown:

It's black and you can either build up intensity or smudge it out.

Then I was looking into natural formulas.

Enter 100% pure.

First one I bought from their UK website:

It's a chocolate coloured shimmer. As you can see, it has literally come off from the sides of the jar, ie. dried out!

Well I don't think that's meant to happen.

I was annoyed with that because it cost me 15 pounds :'-(

But I was willing to give it another chance (but from a different website- Yours by Nature). The lady was kind enough to email me when the black tea one was back in stock.

Yay! It's not dried out!

The colour payoff is definitely not as good as Bobbi Brown but I do feel a little comfort knowing it's pure and natural makeup that I'm putting right up close to my eyes.

The brush I found best for gel liners:

Angled brush by Benefit

I also started trying out Trish McEvoy. It's a gel liner in the form of a pencil. Very creamy and intense and has a little shimmer. It's good for a quick swipe in the morning, although sometimes it doesn't cooperate. You do have to make sure the point of the pencil is sharp otherwise you end up with a very thick line. It's not natural but it's paraben free.

There is another brand of gel liner I would like to try- Morgan Annie but it's in Australia so I'll have to wait til I go back home. The link for that is here.

September Shopping

2011-10-23T11:27:00.000+01:00

Yeeeew!! I managed to get through September without buying any clothing!!

Actually was quite 'easy' this time around. But at least now I know I can get through a month. The last time (some time last year) it was particularly hard. But this time it was alright. I did slightly lust after some items but I haven't felt deprived. Which is good!

I did buy other things...

Dior Nude compact in 2 shades, one was a refill (below)

Guerlain bronzer from their summer collection. I saw it when I was in Japan but decided not to get it then.

Gives me a nice glow and not an orange bronze colour which is good!

Also got their kabuki bronzing brush.

I managed to catch the last opening days of Buckingham Palace to see THAT wedding dress. The wedding dress, shoes, earrings and cake were ok, but I loved the Royal Faberge collection. Sooo intricate and stunning! Going inside Buckingham Palace is highly recommended!

I decided to take a bit of Faberge art/technique home:

Set of 3 candles

And a couple of cups and saucers. The colours (pink and purple) look much prettier in person.

The Royal Wedding dishtowel.

Buckingham Palace shower cap. Now I can feel like a queen while I shower.

Useful souvenirs are so much better than... magnets... :-)

I also managed to purchase a 100% pure from a different supplier (also much lower shipping costs!). The last gel liner I purchased I purchased from the company was dried out.

Moment of truth....

It's fine! Yay!

Another 100% pure SPF moisturiser coz I FINISHED THE OTHER ONE!!!

EEEEK! First time for a long time :-P

Tinted moisturiser sample- don't really know why I bought this, it was only 50p, but I like my Living Nature one too much!

Pai cleanser for travelling (it's 100mL and natural)

Replaced my Living Nature concealer

Chanel nail polish in Miami peach- moment of weakness but the colour is very pretty!

Freesia candle- coz I moved into my new flatshare!

Fred Perry grey sneakers- these are super duper comfy and they are going to replace my converse sneakers!

Ikea house slippers for winter

H&M belt coz my work pants are too loose!

Other items that I didn't photograph were a repurchased Living Nature tinted moisturiser, a natural face primer and 4 magazines. I also bought my Eurostar ticket to Brussels and a return flight to Valencia.

I suppose I channeled my buying into more makeup and skincare... Although some makeup weren't natural, the others were to the replace the unnatural ones. Til next month!

Blue Socks Finished!

2011-10-17T10:20:00.000+01:00

Finally finished knitting my sock pair. I managed to push myself into finishing the second pair when it got really chilly. Following that chilly spell, it turned out to be hot for the next week. Gah!

But now it's definitely going to be cold!

The two socks together

On my foot

I'll definitely knit more socks. They are very satisfying. Although I'll try one with some nifty pattern so I don't get bored when I'm just knitting in plain rounds!

Do You Denim Shorts?

2011-10-12T09:56:00.000+01:00

As I've mentioned before, I have a love of Bento philosophy and clothes in this post. I have also purchased a fair bit from their winter collection.

Their second collection for the southern spring/summer is due to come out any day now. In that collection are denim shorts. Not just any type of denim. They are denim woven from antique looms. How cool is that to know the provenance of you clothes?

You can see the blog post here.

Coz I'm in London, we are going into autumn/winter so I have no need for anything short at this moment. But I am doing some forward wardrobe planning, plus I'm going to be back in Perth in February and that will be guaranteed hot weather.

I don't own any denim shorts. Just never got into them. I prefer shorts in fabric other than denim.

Most denim shorts are the very short types.

I found one that is a relatively modest length:

Lee denim shorts

Photo from surfstitch here

Denim shorts have a sense of casualness to them and never date. Especially when you can alter the cuff to various lengths.

Since Bento is releasing them, maybe it's time to add them to my 'classic' wardrobe?

They retail at AU$229.95 which is very pricey. However the prices I've paid for the other Bento items have been of superb quality and I can see myself owning them for a long time.

What do you think? Do denim shorts have a place in your wardrobe?

Don't Stop Dylan, Don't Stop

2011-10-10T23:02:00.000+01:00

Two rules to abide by when going to a comedy show:

1. Never turn up late

2. Don't sit at the front

The blog title refers to a guy who came late with his date (their first date). She is Spanish so Adam Hills got into the topic of sexy accents. Going around the room there were Scottish, Irish, Devon, Northern english, South African and Iraqi accents/languages. He got each of them to say 'don't stop Dylan, don't stop' say if the date went well and they got up to nit nit wiggy wiggy. There was also a conductor in the first row and Adam Hills got him to conduct the various accents at the end.

Adam Hills in the flesh!

Also at the end, a South African couple gave him a monkey onesie.

Turns out his daughter loooves monkeys so he was stoked about it!

Performing the last few minutes of the show in the monkey onesie.

You can read what else happened on the show at his blog here:

http://www.adamhills.com.au/blog/?p=1030

I went to the show with my new housemates:

Maria, George and Alfiya

Turns out Alfiya is a big comedy fan and when she found out I was Australian, she asked if I knew of Adam Hills. The next day, I saw a bit in the paper that he was performing in London. What a coincidence!

The girls of 41 Stanfield House :-)

Dior Nude Natural Glow Sculpting Powder Makeup

2011-10-06T12:11:00.000+01:00

Early on in the year I mentioned I received a sample of the Dior powder compact here.

Well I went out and bought myself one a couple of weeks ago because I really having a bad day. Since my Jane Iredale bronzer broke, I wanted a replacement for the glow that it gave me minus giant particles of shimmer!

Off to the Dior counter!

I already have the Dior Shimmer All Over Face powder (just not here!) so I wanted something different...

A powder compact with powder, bronzer and shimmer!

The guy at the counter said I could use it 2 ways. Either swirl a brush around the 3 areas and use it on my cheeks that way. Or use each area separately. Unifier as a face powder, sculpter as a contour and the illuminator on top of my cheeks and on the brow bone.

The compact is quite large and therefore the mirror is a nice large size. It definitely looks like a good handbag must-have as it's a 3 in 1. It's also refillable.

Then I bought a darker shade in a refill:

The refillable compact has it's own little plastic holder which you can use it straight out of there (if you aren't fussed by having it in the compact- also a cheaper option too!). But I ditched the brush and put them side by side. Just have to be extra careful and not drop it...

The 2 side by side.

As with Dior shimmer, I find the shimmer very very fine. The unifier part is not a matte powder. There is some form of shimmer but it's super super fine. To make your skin glow really. I don't use the brush to apply, I use a large bronzer brush to pick up the powder and then gently buff onto my cheeks.

Finally to the ingredients:

I know it's not natural at all. This was a pick-me-up purchase and since I'm only planning to use it on my cheeks, I shall let it pass.

Shattered

2011-10-04T10:41:00.000+01:00

My Jane Iredale Moonglow Golden bronzer was dropped (on carpet) and broke into the quads.

:-(

It was gave my cheeks such a nice shimmer too.

Never mind! Good time to use my replacements and to look into natural alternatives.

Cuffing Your Pants

2011-09-29T22:31:00.002+01:00

A big trend in the London summer just gone, I found a lot of people cuffing their pants and pairing them with sneakers. Very chic and European :-)

I've also seen it on the style blogs I visit.

Example:

Lady lining up at the V&A

She's got pink socks on which sort of doesn't work with the outfit but it was just how 'right' she looked with the cuffed pants.

Anyways, a month or so later, I tried it, but chickened out when I got out the front door. On me, it seems like it's neither long nor short. But I'll definitely give it another try because I like the casualness of it.

For those who are keen to try the look for the southern summer, Fashionising has a guide to cuffing pants.

Milk From A Thistle Dress Redone

2011-09-10T11:41:00.000+01:00

Remember the dress here?

Here's the photo again:

So I had trouble loving the dress even though I waited so long to own it. The one shoulder wasn't to my liking. The side without the strap sat a tad bit high, making my boob look bigger.

So I took them to the alterator in Singapore and she kept telling me that without the straps, the whole dress will fall down...

She was right... Sort of!

It was loose around the bust but I've sewn in darts at the back and it should stay up now.

*phew*

I love it so much more now. The strapless suits me much more than the one shoulder type.

I tried styling it up in a couple of different ways:

Singlet underneath... not really...

(excuse the poor photo conditions, I set it on manual and forgot to change the settings)

But over the dress- I like!

Plus I can just wear it on it's own, belted and/or with a cardi.

3-4 looks with a dress, now that's multitasking!

Almond Croissant

2011-09-07T21:58:00.002+01:00

This is my favourite Saturday brunch snack:

Almond croissant!

Flaky goodness

And frangipane!

From The Flour Station which are available at various places around London- I usually get mines at Borough Markets

100% pure butter too! Straight to my heart :-P

August Shopping

2011-09-04T09:37:00.001+01:00

Hello September!

Hello autumn!

Weird being in the same phases as the 'proper' fashion collection stuff. Weird that's it cooling down towards the end of the year too. I will finally get to have a cold Christmas!

Judging by the photos I had to upload, I bought a lot of stuff in August. I started work- hello income! And I wanted to switch my basic make up items to natural alternatives.

At the start of the month, I went wool shopping! Almost as bad as clothes shopping...

2 balls of Noro Sekku.

I've decided I like fine wool knitting. Stuff knitted in 8ply looks too thick for me. I like the tiny stitches of using sock wool.

A lace ball by Schoppel Wolle.

I saw the lady at the shop knitting in this yarn and it just looked so fine and intricate. Can't wait to start!

Rowan panama yarn.

This is slightly 'thicker' yarn but I'm making a scarf as a gift to a friend.

Rosine Zephir de Rose perfume.

A true rose scent which lasts through the whole day. Love it! I was seeking an alternative to Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb. This is a perfect fresh alternative.

Cath Kidston camera case. Now my new camera can be protected!

Dr Hauschka eyeshadow- 04 (grey) and 02 (peachy beige)

Kjaer Weis wisdom eyeshadow- a taupe colour. It's natural and refillable too.

Dr Hauschka blush in 02 (apricot)

Dr Hauschka pressed translucent powder

Terre d'Oc bronzing powder. I only used this once but I can't stand the smell that this bronzer has. Pity because it's a good bronzing colour.

Dr Hauschka mascara.

This is ok, but I wished I got the volume mascara as this would probably suit girls who have long eyelashes already.

Living Nature conditioning mascara.

This is a better than the Dr Hauschka mascara above. Again, wished I got the volumising one.

Tropic cleanser.

REN hydra-calm cleansing milk

I finally finished my Sodashi clay cleanser. I miss it! These 2 will make do for now while I'm in the UK. The Tropic one is slightly more creamier which will be great for the colder months. I don't mind the REN cleansing milk as well, although I don't think it's 100% natural.

A Rob Ryan umbrella.

Had to get a new umbrella because I left mines on the bus! This is all I have left of my old umbrella- the case :-( I loved that umbrella, bought it in Korea and it was very slim and compact.

Rob Ryan mug and saucer by someone else.

Another bag purchase!

Marc by Marc Jacobs one for work but also handy for non-work outings.

The pilling of my blue Mango shirt which was only bought last month.

It's been delegated to home wear now.

Jigsaw coat on sale

Cute buttons

Jigsaw cardi to replace another cardi that has been delegated to home wear only.

Reiss shirt

Banana Republic knit shirts for work in 3 different colours:

Banana Republic charcoal top.

Three Whistles singlets

My first Primark hoodie (for home wear) coz it gets chilly in the morning.

It took my longer to pay for the hoodie than it did to find it. I won't be buying anymore cheap fashion! Just not worth it and the guilt I'm feeling too >_<

And finally my winter coat...

By APC

A navy trench.

Gosh APC clothes are expensive! But well cut and from quality fabrics.

Has a hood at the back.

It's going to be a well worn item in my wardrobe.

After spending the money on the coat and realising a shirt I only bought a month ago is pilling, it's difficult to justify spending money on cheap quality stuff.

Right now I don't need anything else for my 'travelling' wardrobe. So September I will try my damnest not to buy any clothes! :-)

Lychee Pocky!

2011-08-23T17:55:00.000+01:00

I love Pocky!

And lychees.

Pocky + lychee = double love!

Bought at an Asian shop in Chinatown.

Too bad there aren't many Pocky sticks in the box! I will be going back for more!

The Dark Side

2011-08-20T23:20:00.000+01:00

I came across this article (here) by youlookfab. It's about your first black wardrobe item.

Dipping into my memory:
It was a plain black Footlocker shirt. I was on a Perth 'camp' (basically sampling the Perth lifestyle) and I decided I wanted a black shirt. I was 12 at the time. When I returned, my dad wasn't pleased that I bought a black shirt. In his times, black was reserved for funerals and symbolised black luck. He doesn't own any black clothes and I'm pretty sure his trousers are a very dark navy but not black.

I was influenced by one of my friend who I thought was fashion forward and she was allowed to read the glossy magazines. She was probably the first of my friends to start wearing black. You know high school!

Anyway, I persisted wearing that black shirt and I remember it getting very faded but I still wore it. Soon after, I was choosing my own clothes and I've been wearing the colour since. Although now I try not to have the head-to-toe 'black' look. Most hairdressers wear all black and once he said that was my 'clan'. I must have worn a lot of black back then...

So what about your own foray to the dark side?

Kjaer Weis Sun Touched Blush

2011-08-12T11:36:00.000+01:00

After a natural look lesson at Summaglo in April, I am hooked on the natural look with natural products. I'm almost there with converting my makeup to natural products.

Below is a Kjaer Weis cream blush:

A very heavy silver compact

I bought this in a Mecca store for AU$68. It is pricey and it's probably the only true natural makeup Mecca carry in store. Also they have refills for the blush so the compact can be reused again. The ingredient list:

So why cream blushes? Because I used a Becca cream blush at the Summaglo workshop and I really liked the natural flushed look. Kjaer Weis only has 3 blush shades:

Blossoming
Sun Touched
Desired Glow

Blossoming is the lightest more pink than the other two. Sun Touched is an apricot colour and Desired Glow is a tan sort of colour.

The compact open with a Bare Escentuals concealer brush for application. The Bare Escentuals brush is a dupe of the Becca concealer brush and at half the price!

Close up

Back of the compact.

I'm assuming the little hole above the label is where you push the old blush square out to click the new one in.

Finally a swatch of the colour:

It's a very very subtle colour. I wish it was a little bit more pigmented. The colour justs shows up on my skin. I might get Blossoming next time just to compare. I don't think I'll get Desired Glow because it might look I have dirt on my cheeks.

The blush is expensive but it includes the price of the compact. The refills are AU$30, a little bit more reasonable. The only let down is it's not as pigmented as I would like it- but it is meant to look natural I suppose!

Light or Dark

2011-08-11T11:25:00.001+01:00

I initially wore the beige shirt but found that it didn't look quite right... so I switched to a black one.

Fast Food

2011-08-09T17:59:00.000+01:00

I picked up this book from the library:

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Picture taken from here

After completing it, I am quite disgusted by the whole fast food/convenience food sector. It shows how these giant corporations are about profit margins and well, profit margins. From the farmers to the processing plant workers and even the workers at the fast food restaurants. Squeezing their value to the lowest they can go for.

Sure I have cravings for hamburgers and fries at random moments. Did you know the average adult (American I presumed, since it's an American book) has fast food about 3 times a week? I probably used to eat that much when I was working at Hungry Jacks (Australian version of Burger King) though. It's supply and demand. No demand, no supply.

Now I don't think I'll eat fast food for a long while- unless I'm super duper desperate. Despite the cheapness, I'd rather spend a little more and eat quality stuff.

The book is a little old now, published in 2001, but it is a good insight into the influence of the fast food corporations. Wikipedia has a good little summary on the book here.

Do you eat fast food? Why/why not?

Sock Knitting WIP

2011-08-07T10:52:00.001+01:00

Been a bloody long time since I've finished knitting something. Last June to be exact after checking my blog posts. Been an even longer time since I knitted socks (2007!!). My first pair can be found here. That one didn't have the heel flap and gusset stuff because I found it too difficult to read the pattern.

I suppose socks were something I wanted to knit for some odd reason. I did a craft class at the Craft & Quilt fair waaayyy back in 2008 which I picked up a ball of sock wool and discovered circular needles. Since then, I have cast on and restarted but haven't managed to get past the cuff bit. That ball of wool is still a large ball of wool.

I went into I Knit London to pick up knitting again, after all it's more travel friendly than sewing (I don't have the patience for hand sewing yet). I wanted to knit something challenging and found a free sock pattern in store, bought a pair of needles and a ball of wool...

Well I managed to work through the pattern with the help of YouTube and got my first finished sock.

One completed sock and only just started the other one.

It took me about 3 weeks to finish but I'm insanely happy with it. I need to get over the second sock syndrome. But after that, I can't wait to try fancy sock patterns! Funny that because I scoffed at the warning that sock knitting is highly addictive in the instructions. But now I can see why... Such an accomplishment for me. Heehee!

Shopping in July

2011-08-05T12:31:00.001+01:00

I can't believe it's August already! My second month in London has flown by. I start work on the 8th after 3 months of holidaying. And I am looking forward to it. Something to look forward to and also to start earning some pounds instead of loosing around half my money when I convert! I still have to post photos from the last 3 months!

In July I tried to 'reign in' my spending after a crazy June. I don't think I changed my ways. It may have to do with me getting a fairly large tax return... But all that will change this month! I'm sure of it :-)

As you know from a previous post, I bought a new camera- Canon S95 because my Sony one wasn't taking photos I was happy with.

This was my tax return gift to myself since I haven't got a return for a couple of years! And my HECS (university fees) are all paid off too. Yay!

I have figured out I cannot cut craftiness or any sort of DIYness out of my life. I didn't pack any of my knitting stuff or sewing stuff thinking I would be 'alright' without them for a year or two. Anyways, I couldn't help not doing anything and decided to resume knitting.

A knitter's kit I picked up with a ball of wool and a pair of needles. I am going to knit a pair of socks! So far it's going good, one sock down, another to go.

A lovely turquoise ring I picked up from the Spitalfields Market

I bought 2 more Diptyque candles for my room:

A mini Baies and Mimosa.

My wild rose skincare pack from Neal's Yard:

Came in a really nice box

I wanted to try the body elixir and the beauty balm.

The next two tops were the first ones I bought in the month:

Banana Republic black silk shirt- really like the flowyness of it.

A Mango basic tee

More sale items from The Dreamery (waiting for me in Perth):

Little Joe striped sweater

Another Bento item- a v neck knit in berry

From the Anthropologie sale as well:

Summer sandals! Glad I did buy these because there's been several hot days in London. They had some weird tassles which I cut off.

Got my brogue shoes soled

Finally why I failed: I was out looking for cropped pants and came home with 5 pairs. I've identified my problem, now to rectify it.

Grey linen cropped pair

Stone linen cropped pair- both were on a ridiculous markdown and they light and comfy!

A linen khaki coloured one from Whistles. Also on sale...

A grey pair of work pants from Banana Republic, again on sale.

And finally, what I had been after all along ended up being the last pair of cropped pants I bought- a stretch cotton navy pants from Banana Republic. Surprisingly this one wasn't on sale.

I don't regret buying the 3 pairs of linen cropped pants because it's been nice not to have to wear jeans when it's been really hot. But I acknowledge I can get carried away with the different fabrics and colours when I am looking for a particular item especially when they are on sale as well. That makes it fairly hard to refuse. I really do have to stop that though. So on that final note, here's to August without being too obsessive and just deciding on one thing, one colour.

Giant Meringues

2011-08-02T10:55:00.000+01:00

I keep seeing these giant meringues piled precariously at the Borough Markets or some pastry shop:

These were at the Borough Markets

Meringues are relatively simple to make- egg whites and sugar, beat til stiff peaks form and bake.

I bought one to try from the Leadenhall Markets:

Meringue with brown sugar

Crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Might be my new obsession...

I overheard a mother telling her daughter that she bought a "mer-in-gue". And I secretly giggled to myself. Heehee

Cropped Pants

2011-07-31T13:30:00.000+01:00

Yay, another non-black outfit.

I took this photo just to make sure I didn't look silly with the length of the pants. I did try them on before I bought them... you know the saying- check yourself in the mirror (preferably full length) before you go out of the house. Something like that!

Insight light blue shirt and grey linen cropped pants

This might become an ongoing theme where I post non-black outfits. Though you might see the same couple of tops again and again. Comments appreciated!

Salted Caramel

2011-07-29T09:49:00.008+01:00

I love any caramel. Especially in desserts and with chocolate. My current obsession is salted caramel.

How exciting! Sweet and salty.

If you click on the image to make it bigger, it says: I was going to tell you NOT to bite the liquid sea salted caramel in half.

This particular company has a stall at the Borough Markets. I usually get their assortment bags for £2.50. The lady also gave me a brochure which included all their flavours.

Liquid salted caramels!!

Again if you click on the photo, you can read that Gerard Coleman invented them for Gordon Ramsey's menu. There are also other infusions with the caramel- pepper, banana, balsamic vinegar to name the first few.

Side note, they also have earl grey tea chocolate!

And salted caramel in this form:

A small bag at Borough cost £10. Eeek!

By the time I got around to photographing it, I already ate about a third...

But worth it!! Check out the photos below:

Mmm... look at the caramel dripping out.

The thing about the balls is they are small, so usually you end up eating more than you expect to. Lucky it's only me and the bag! I don't really like the cocoa dusting around the ball. Dries out your mouth if you know what I mean. But the mixture of liquid caramel and the crunch of the dark chocolate coating is very moreish. Ingenious!

If you are a caramel fan, do try one of these. Otherwise you can find them in Selfridges (where you can just buy one ball) and other London locations. I tried a pepper and caramel ball and balsamic and caramel. Very distinct flavour but I shall stick to salted caramel for now!

Black & Purple

2011-07-27T08:22:00.000+01:00

I did say no more macarons til next month...

In my defence I only bought one. It was a bit awkward because the lady at the counter was waiting for me to pick more flaovours. I was about to go to my trusty favourite- salted caramel but didn't.

The flavour below is liquorice and voilet with a thick layer of filling.

Photos taken with the Canon S95. So glad I bought the camera!

Yum! Definitely one to try again.

First Few Photos From The Canon

2011-07-25T21:23:00.000+01:00

My new camera takes some awesome photos. Still not DSLR quality but excellent for a compact sized camera. I've been using it in manual mode and for some reason, the aperture and shutter thing finally clicked with me.

Different nail polish colours

A new ring vs an old ring. Love the turquoise colour and the patterns around the stone.

Can you guess which one is the chain store ring?

Sony Ain't Cutting The Mustard No More

2011-07-22T22:13:00.000+01:00

Not that cameras can literally cut mustard.

Anyways! A history of cameras that I've gone through:

The very first family digital camera that my mum chose was a Sony P72. It was the bomb because digital cameras were a new thing and I could take photos and delete them instead of feeling guilty of wasting that precious film. Also this Sony one took better photos because my friend had a Canon one and I didn't think her photos were that great. At that time! I'm pretty sure my mum chose Sony because we have Sony TVs. It was the only TV brand that my dad bought before those fang-dangle LCD/plasma ones came out.

Digression- it's funny because when I was buying a DVD player, I chose a Sony one. Usually I look at what Sony is offering in the electronics I wanna buy. I suppose because none of the Sony stuff I've owned have never broken down. But I do realise they mark their price up soooo much and sometimes aren't worth it!

Sony P72 (photo from Amazon)- 3.2MP!

After that, the compact digital camera sector grew in leaps and bounds. They became slimmer! More megapixels! Faster! Better! No need for AA batteries!

I started looking into the newer models. Since Sony were the only ones using their memory sticks rather than the SD cards, I thought I'd stick to the brand thus carrying over the accessories. My dad would've rather me save my money for "the future" than spend it on a camera. So I had to look for one that looked similar to the P72 in case it roused any suspicion. I thought that was so clever at 19. Hah!! So enter another Sony- P200.

Same shape really. Couldn't have told the difference!

It was thinner (but still thick in modern terms) and had 7.2MP with the rechargeable batteries.

(Photo from Amazon)

That P200 is still my favourite camera. Can't say I've used it over the last 2 years though... It has a 2.0" which is tiny now but the photos it took were pretty darn good.

Moving on, I decided to spice things up with a bit of pink. Boy it's the nicest pink I've ever seen on any electronics. A dark metallic pink. So pretty...

Canon Ixus i7. It came in a whole host of other camers and I loved the tiny size.

Can't say I like using it. It was bleh. Slow to focus, always had to use some sort of flash and sometimes it wouldn't focus. Oh and it had a 1.8" screen. I thought- 0.2" can't be that much of a difference... -_-" It was so frustrating to use. The guy I was going out with then had a Canon camera which was pretty good which is why I thought this one would've been OK. He managed to use this one alright. I sold it to my friend who seemed more happy with the colour. Couldn't be more glad to see it go.

Then I moved in DSLR territory... dum dum dum!!

I got my Nikon D60. Come to think of it, I might've chosen Nikon instead of Canon because of the traumatic experience above... I suppose I didn't consider myself to be a "professional" (professional = Canon) so I chose an entry level Nikon. I know there are the Nikon vs Canon debates. Bah! Read and research. Go with what you can afford and what you want rather than worrying about what others may think of you. Either way, there are websites dedicated to each user and they all have fantastic photos.

My dad definitely noticed this camera... I also unearthed an old Nikon FE2 from my uncle's storeroom in Malaysia. I was destined to get a Nikon and get into photography :-)

(photo from Nikon site)

Limitations with the Nikon- it's sooooooo heavy and it's not discreet. I then decided to "upgrade" my compact camera. I stuck with the Sony brand again- WX1. This was one of the first models to have the sweep panoramas and the hand held twilight. The sweep panorama function is very handy. Saves time fiddling on the computer.

The WX1

It takes average photos... Maybe because I'm used to the DSLR quality?? I took this on my Korea/Japan/Langkawi and now to London. I'm spewing because I wished I took my DSLR (I would've broken my back in the process). Never mind because I shall be reunited with it in September when a friend is bringing it over. *Phew*

Note to self: never go travelling without it!

In the meantime, I researched and found a new camera.

I decided on a Canon S95. The beauty of this is it has full manual control. I suppose it's like a mini DSLR but with fixed lens. There is even a movable ring around the lens.

There was an Olympus XZ-1 which is in the same category as this. I did have a squiz at it and it was bigger than what I wanted it to be. Though the Olympus one does have a lower aperture (f1.8- allows more light in) for those who are interested.

There are others such as the Panasonic LX5 and also the Canon G12 as well as Samsung and Nikon getting into that market as well... I still want a compact size and find the G12 and LX5 a tad bit large.

I also looked into the micro four thirds sector. I mean, good concept but it will mean I'm investing in a another set of camera bodies and lens etc. Plus I think it looks silly- a compact camera sized body with a long lens... I still like things to look pretty as well as function. Even if I do just stick to the one set of lens, I might as well get the cameras I mentioned before.

Last photos from the Sony WX1. It will be passed down to the sister who is quite excited about getting it. Probably coz she doesn't need to pay for it!

The S95 also has two holey things so you can put a neck strap. Means I can take discreet shots. Muahahaha!

This is the last upgrade of compact cameras for me. Photography is a hobby and I do like good quality photos. Film cameras are another topic altogether!

What cameras are you using? Compact? Micro four thirds? DSLR? Film even?

S'more Macarons

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000+01:00

These will be the last of the macarons for a while. I need a break from all the sugar!

Like the Cookie Monster said: a cookie is a sometimes food (here).

I went back to Pierre Herme and tried the following flavours:

Vanilla with olives

It does have olive bits in the filling... very odd tasting macaron with the olive tang but worth a try.

Apricot

This was so-so.

Next I found Laduree at Covent Garden AND Harrods. The flavours I got at Covent Garden were salted caramel and a raspberry one. They got squashed on the way home therefore no photos of those.

The ones below are from Harrods:

From the top: salted caramel again! Orange blosoom and the green one is apple.

Hands down salted caramel is the clear winner. The disappointment in the flavours I chose doesn't stop me from wanting to try the other ones. Hee!

Any favourite macaron flavours you enjoy?